​The problem with motion comics is that they are by their
very nature a lesser product. Not possessing the nuances of a comic or the
visual flair of a cartoon, these things are weird creatures traveling through
the night in search of their own identity. That may sound a bit grandiose, but
think about it. Motion comics are designed for people who are too lazy to read
a graphic novel. Yet they are also crafted in such a fashion that their
inferior animation is their primary selling point (there's a thesis in here
somehow about how the seeming half-assedness of motion comics is a reflection
upon contemporary America's overwhelming ability to settle for mediocrity, yet
I'm far too lazy to write it). Motion Comics have been called the Cliff's Notes of
the comics industry, and that sounds like a fair assessment. Yet it seems that
they are also, to make a timely reference, the Rodney Dangerfield of fandom.
Just because you probably should read a graphic novel as opposed to watching
one brought to life with the least amount of effort doesn't mean that there
aren't some motion comics that are worth your time. Come to think of it, some
of these are actually quite exceptional. You see, as long as you view motion
comics as a companion to their source material instead of a replacement, they
offer up a lot of enjoyment. So I'm going to stop poo-pooing them and begin
giving them the respect they deserve. Here then is a look at the 10 best
motion comics released. Thus far anyways.

10) Iron Man: Extremis
Warren Ellis is most famous to regular Topless Robot readers as the man who made "tender, passionate love to our childhoods" (with his enormous dick, natch) through his work on G.I. Joe: Resolute. He merits inclusion on today's Daily List for his six-issue Extremis story arc in The Invincible Iron Man, which was adapted for the motion comic medium last year. The story has an ennui-stricken Tony Stark reuniting with an old colleague who was working with an experimental serum called Extremis that got into the wrong hands. Obviously, things go bad and Stark experiences a substantial amount of self-doubt before saving the day. I'm deliberately simplifying the story a bit here so that you can experience its surprises for yourself, but the best bits include a compelling interview in which Stark is challenged by a Michael Moore-styled documentary filmmaker and a new take on Iron Man's origin that directly influenced the one featured in his big screen debut (which also was heavily inspired by Adi Granov's visual take on the character as is featured here). Another connection to the Iron Man feature film is how the portrayal of the Sal Kennedy character -- a Zen-spouting Dude who disapproves of Stark's career choices -- seems heavily influenced by Jeff Bridges. Sadly, the scene Kennedy appears in is a bit heavy-handed and pretentious, so when he appears you can feel free to schedule a snack/bathroom break.

9) The Walking Dead
Remember Daniel Kanemoto's fake credits sequence for The Walking Dead? It was the first taste the world had to how much fun a motion comic based on Robert Kirkman's long-running zombie title could be. In order the promote The Walking Dead TV show, AMC hired Juice Films (more on them in a bit) to, um, bring to life Tony Moore's artwork. The result was this stand-alone adventure that demonstrates the potential that a regular The Walking Dead animated series could have. Since the paths of the TV show and comic have diverged, it would be fun if AMC released more of these motion comics to their website. Sadly, that would be cost prohibitive and could possibly take away interest from the live-action show. So for now, we are left with this one-off. Yet I still crave more brrrraiiiinsss...

8) Batgirl: Year One

​Available on a DVD with the equally worthwhile The Batman Adventures: Mad Love, Batgirl: Year One chronicles the early days of the future tragedy victim as she irritates/befriends Batman, flirts with Robin, battles Killer Moth (whom I can't take even remotely seriously after watching The Monarch on The Venture Bros.) and hides her secret identity from her pop. The true strength here is some fantastic voiceover work that reflects the enthusiasm and self-doubt of Batgirl that was the heart of Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon's comic. In the story, Barbara Gordon/Batgirl is a young woman trying to carve out her own niche in life while being constantly overshadowed by the achievements of her police commissioner father and a certain bat-obsessed vigilante. Kate Higgins' portrayal of the character is layered with courage, vulnerability and self-awareness. Her performance seems effortless, and it allows viewers to connect with Batgirl's plight on an emotional level. While punctuated by brief moments that foreshadow Barbara's unfortunate future -- most notably a comment by Doctor Fate and a cameo by The Joker in the Batcave training area wearing his outfit from The Killing Joke -- Batgirl: Year One is mainly a joyful valentine to DC's most underrated heroine.

7) Superman: Red Son
Mark Millar's Elseworlds tale of a Superman who landed in Russia instead of the U.S. following the destruction of his home planet world is condensed into a briskly paced 80-minute adventure that will thrill alternate comic history fans. You can watch the first 14 minutes above, though be warned as the next sentence will probably seriously impede your enjoyment of this. Here goes: Russian Superman totally sounds like Dr. Zoidberg. Don't believe me? Just jump to the 7:55 mark. Perhaps Supes should have challenged Lex to a clawplach?

6) Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D.
Back in 2008, artist Roland Becerra's short Dear Beautiful detailed how the mysterious arrival of a new type of flower in Connecticut was a harbinger for a zombie apocalypse. The film used slightly animated paintings that made the undead look like tragic romantic figures. This exact type of uncomfortable beauty is on display in the Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. motion comic, and it's a joy to watch. Like She-Hulk, Spider-Woman was created to be female counterpart to a Marvel A-Lister although never really quite caught on as well as initially hoped. But just as John Byrne and Steve Gerber did with Shulky, Brian Michael Bendis found a way to deconstruct the character to make her fascinating to readers who may have been oblivious to her first incarnation. Following the events of Marvel's Secret Invasion -- during which she was impersonated by the Skrull queen Veranke -- Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman is pissed. So when she gets enlisted by counter-terrorism agency S.W.O.R.D. to get vengeance, she jumps at the opportunity. Needless to say, she experiences more self-empowerment in each episode than audiences do in an entire Lady Gaga world tour. And thanks to the stunning art by Alex Maleev, she looks great while doing so to.

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well.ok this opinion up there is over 2 years old so one can sax that something happend inbetween.

for one: motion comics are great and are neither only a retelling nor a copy of something what is already there. they cant be set on the same step s like animated movies or the original graphic novel...they have something on their own. ok many people dont see how great they are and not every motion comic out there is very good but just look at the ones done by Erick Bruhwiler for Dark Horse Comics and say again that they are not just incredible: i DARE YOU!

anyways: animating motion comics by myself i just wanted to show you some of my own fanwork to be found on youtube:

I don't think that motion comics are inferior to regular animation at all. In fact, what drew me to them was the unique animation style and how detailed the drawings were. The first one I saw was Thor and Loki: Blood Brothers, and I appreciated how the artists were able to create Thor's dark universe and brilliantly capture Loki's psychological torture. There are actually some short films I've seen that are done in this style, but are completely unrelated to comics. People enjoy this type of animation because it's unique, graphic, and emotional. NOT because people are being lazy.

Stories resonate with people in different ways, and we are lucky to be living during a time with diverse media so that more people can now enjoy the same story. Of course, no one says that movies, TV shows, books on tape, and anime are made for people who are too lazy to read the books, plays or manga that are the original source material. And why is watching a motion comic any lazier than watching a cartoon based on a comic book hero? The author of this article just comes off as an elitist, self-indulgent snob.

I disagree. I happen to like motion comic but I do not replace them with their source material. I make it a point to read the original comic first. Motion comics are just a new way of telling a story with visual and audio aide. Also preferring motion comics over the source material doesn't make you lazy. Some comics I prefer over the original novels because of the added music element.

"Brian Michael Bendis found a way to deconstruct the character (Spider-Woman) to make her fascinating to readers who may have been oblivious to her first incarnation. " What? fascinating? They´re to kind of fans: the ones that are sick of Spider-Woman because of Bendis and the ones that wish that he stops liking her because the guy ruined it! The best thing that has happened to Spider-Woman since Bendis arrive was leave her! (You know? It´s a strange way that guy has to show his love for female characters: make them crazy, (Scarlet Witch) turning them into villains (Spider-Woman), and killing them (Echo). The worst thing that could happen to any female character is be one of Bendis favorites. And the best thing that could happen to them is stay away of Bendis.

Most people miss the purpose of the motion comic (as does this article). The motion comic is not designed for comic readers. The motion comic is an advent of the smart device. Whereas regular animation is best suited for a large screen and most comic book apps are subpar (with the exception being comixology) motion comics provide paneled art that marries even the smallest smart device perfectly. Motion comics exist for the same reason a DS exists or angry birds or anything else. They're not meant to replace large screen video games -- they exist to provide smart-sized entertainment. Motion comics will continue to thrive as more and more of today's youth own smart devices. The medium is quite literally a perfect fit. No need to compare motion comics to big screen animated films or giant graphic novels. Motion comics are for people on smart devices. I've decided to start calling them Smart Comics.

Most people miss the purpose of the motion comic (as does this article). The motion comic is not designed for comic readers. The motion comic is an advent of the smart device. Whereas regular animation is best suited for a large screen and most comic book apps are subpar (with the exception being comixology) motion comics provide paneled art that marries even the smallest smart device perfectly. Motion comics exist for the same reason a DS exists or angry birds or anything else. They're not meant to replace large screen video games -- they exist to provide smart-sized entertainment. Motion comics will continue to thrive as more and more of today's youth own smart devices. The medium is quite literally a perfect fit. No need to compare motion comics to big screen animated films or giant graphic novels. Motion comics are for people on smart devices. I've decided to start calling them Smart Comics.

I disagree with the premise that motion comics are inherently inferior, especially to animation, since most animated comics have really poor animation, actually I disagree that they are inherently inferior to reading the original graphic novel. What this blog misses, is the importance of the voice-over, which can prople a good graphic novel to the status of a classic work of art. I absolutely disagree with your premise. You list is also flawed, in support I offer: Thor and Loki: Blood Brothers.

Ha ha ha, oh poor Charlie Brown. Wonder how long it takes for him to finally snap and shoot up everyone in his neighborhood with a chainsaw rocket launcher? XD Still, does that Peanut one apply for "Motion Comics"? I mean, as far as I can tell, the Peanut animations are drawn and animated in the same manner, so that should possibly qualify for a Peanut animation already.

S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department) is an organization that deals with extraterrestrials on Earth. I suppose you could call them "counter-terrorist", but that's a really odd description of what they do.

@BCRice you are right: motion comics work extremely good on tablets or smartphones. A very good example for that might be "The Day It Rained Forever". It is a motion comic series published as an app. This example shows how good a motion comic can work on a tablet/smartphone.

If you don't believe it, have a look and convince yourselves: www.thedayitrainedforever.com